Australia: Prisoners with Disabilities Neglected, Abused
"People with disabilities in prisons across Australia are at serious risk of sexual and physical violence, and are disproportionately held in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day, Human Rights Watch said in a report released [Feb. 6].

The 93-page report, 'I Needed Help, Instead I Was Punished: Abuse and Neglect of Prisoners with Disabilities in Australia,' examines how prisoners with disabilities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners, are at serious risk of bullying, harassment, violence, and abuse from fellow prisoners and staff. Prisoners with psychosocial disabilities – mental health conditions – or cognitive disabilities in particular can spend days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years locked up alone in detention or safety units."

Caged In: The "Devastating" Impact of Solitary on the Disabled
"Solitary confinement puts prisoners with physical disabilities at greater risk than inmates in the general population and should never be used unless  such prisoners represent  genuine security risks to themselves or others, an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  study concluded.

The study... said the 'devastating psychological and physical harms' associated with solitary are compounded  when deaf, blind or otherwise disabled inmates are put in that position—even when it is ordered for their safety.

The ACLU researchers said no national  data was available documenting how many of the  80,000 to 100,000 inmates assigned to solitary or administrative segregation on any given day in the U.S. were physically disabled, but figures from some state corrections systems suggest  the problem is increasing as the number of disabled individuals behind bars grows."

View the Report